THE INFLUENCE OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION IN UKRAINE ON THE WORK OF THE NATIONAL «HOTLINE» FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Abstract

Russia’s war against Ukraine also affected children. Children suffer due to the fact that they are not morally ready to accept events related to the war: death, relocation, new surroundings, new countries, psychological stress in the family, loss of loved ones and friends, etc. In order to improve the psychological and moral condition of children, protect their rights, create conditions for normal existence and education, the state cooperates with international and public organizations, various tools and mechanisms are created and used. One of them is the National Hotline for Children and Youth, which was created and is supported by the public organization La Strada – Ukraine. The National Hotline, which has many years of experience in telephone counseling of children and youth, flexibly responds to the needs and challenges faced by children in different years, depending on the socio-political situation in the country. Specialists of the National Hotline for Children and Youth provide free, anonymous and confidential consultations both from the landline freephone 0 800 500 225 and from the free mobile phone 116 111 (the pan-European number). Not only children and youth apply for help, but also their parents or guardians, teachers and other specialists who work with children. Research on this topic is being conducted for the first time in Ukraine. Based on a statistical analysis of calls to the National Hotline for Children and Youth and a sociological study, the article analyzes the impact of the socio-political situation in the country on the problematic issues that children and adolescents have sought advice on and formulates recommendations for further development of the hotline.